Église Saint-Antoine de Compiègne, Gothic church in Compiègne, France.
Église Saint-Antoine de Compiègne is a Gothic church whose 16th-century facade has two square towers with dark pyramidal roofs, a central gable, a rose window and a deep pointed portal. Inside, clustered columns carry ribbed vaults with a pale yellow ceiling, and three tall stained-glass windows stand behind the altar.
Founded in 1199, the church sustained significant damage during the Hundred Years War, prompting major reconstructions in the 16th century. These restorations shaped the Gothic structure visible today.
The church is affiliated with the parish of the Sixteen Blessed Carmelite Nuns of Compiègne. Its name recalls Saint Anthony, and the building marks the south-western edge of the old town centre at the crossroads of several streets. The 16th-century choir, with its prismatic supports and lierne-and-tierceron vaults, is the part visitors most often examine.
The west facade, actually facing north-west, opens onto the crossroads of rue d'Austerlitz, rue Saint-Antoine, rue des Cordeliers, rue Pasteur, rue de Paris and rue Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours. The south side of the nave faces the small place Saint-Antoine, cleared of houses bought up from 1868; the chevet looks onto the narrow rue Hersan, widened in 1907.
In 1768, the parish priest removed much of the interior decoration to increase brightness and emphasize the architectural lines. This radical decision resulted in the loss of many artworks that had enriched the space for centuries.
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